Range Anxiety? There's An App for That

Mobile apps are coming to the rescue of EV charging networks that are seriously lacking in all but a few corridors in the US. "Range anxiety," or the fear that your car will run out of juice before you can recharge it at the charging station, is a major obstacle to overcome before electric vehicles become truly mainstream in the US auto market.

Not only does this free app list EV drivers near you who are willing to offer you a charge; it also has a comprehensive directory of all the public EV charging stations, so you are never again too far away to get your car charged. It will be interesting to see which how this app takes off - is it like a Craigslist for EV drivers, where strangers freely exchange services? Or is it more like FourSquare, where public "place listings" for EV charging stations help out drivers in need?



Via: GOOD

Droid Takes Over the World

Ever since its launch in October 2008, the Droid mobile phone platform has offered the world's only serious competition with the Apple product empire. Watch it take off like wildfire around 0:31, the official launch of the Motorola Droid. As of this writing, the Android OS has a 31% share of the US market share and has already surpassed the Steve Jobs cabal.

I picked up the Motorola Droid 2 this past December (my first smartphone), and I am converted! The call quality is excellent, functionality is clean and easy-to-follow, internet functionality is effortless, and apps are convenient and easy to use. Best of all, I never have to worry about downloading a special Apple-only widget to play a YouTube video or iTunes song - all Android software is open-source, with constant updates to keep your programs in their peak condition.

The iPhone might have the signature "Apple style" which I'll admit, is beautiful to look at. But in terms of a high-functioning, truly intelligent piece of machinery, the Droid kicks ass. It's completely changed my outlook on what was possible with just a cell phone.

Wanna play online poker, get easy-to-use driving directions, play YouTube videos directly in your browser, and have many (many more) apps running simultaneously? Better get the Droid!